It was reported today that several Selangor executive councillors and top State UMNO leaders were today briefed on the case involving the Selangor Mentri Besar, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib charged in a Brisbane magistrate’s court on Monday with failing to declare an equivalent of A$1.2 million (RM2.4 million) in cash.
The briefing, which lasted about two hours, was given by Selangor State UMNO liaison deputy chairman and acting Foreign Minister, Datuk Abu Hassan Omar at the official residence of Speaker, Datuk Onn Ismail.
The press secretary to the Mentri Besar, Nasiruddin Jantan, also refuted rumours that Muhammad was already in Malaysia, stating that as far as he knew, Muhammad was still overseas and would only come back on December 31 as scheduled.
A day earlier, a Selangor State Government source had said that Muhammad had gone on official leave from Dec 15 and would be back to work on Jan 2.
Muhammad should cut short his holidays abroad and return immediately to Malaysia to give a satisfactory accounting as to why he had RM2.4 million cash in Singapore and New Zealand dollars and Malaysian ringgit in Brisbane on Sunday which he had not declared.
Muhammad had been arrested by the Australian Federal Police at the Brisbane airport on Sunday and charged in the Brisbane magistrate’s court on Monday for an offence under section 15 of the Financial Transactions Reports Act for failing to declare an equivalent of RM2.4 million in cash on his way to New Zealand.
Under the Australian law, anyone leaving the country with more than A$5,000 in cash must make a declaration.
Malaysians accept the legal maxim that a person is deemed innocent until proven guilty, which should apply not only to the ordinary people but also to the highest political office-holders and as Muhammad’s case had been adjourned to March 21, the judgment on whether the Selangor Mentri Besar had committed an offence under the Australian law would not be known at least until three months later.
While Malaysians are prepared to suspend judgment on this charge, what is of immediate and imperative concern to Malaysians is more than the question as to whether Muhammad had committed an offence under the Australian Financial Transactions Reports Act, or whether he would step down as Mentri Besar and State Assemblyman if found guilty and fined an equivalent of RM2,000 or above which would have led to his disqualification as Mentri Besar and State Assemblymen if he had been tried in Malaysian courts for a local offence.
The immediate and imperative concern is why Muhammad should have on his person such vast sums of cash as amounting to RM2.4 million - which clearly is a matter of indisputable fact, as the money which had been found in his luggage has been retained by the Australian Federal Police and which, according to a Australian Police spokesman, might have to be forfeited!
This question calls for immediate and satisfactory explanation, especially after the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed had made such an impressive speech against money politics and corruption in high political places at the October UMNO General Assembly.
If Muhamad, who is one of the three elected UMNO Vice Presidents, fails to give an immediate and satisfactory explanation for the RM2.4 million cash on his person in Brisbane, as to its origin, ownership and purpose, then he would be responsible for rendering Mahathir’s touching and highly emotional speech against money politics at the UMNO General Assembly empty and meaningless - which would be a massive blow against national efforts to combat and eliminate corruption in Malaysia.
(26/12/96)